The design of ornamental fixtures, such as chandeliers, is typically hampered by the disadvantages of using glass as the material of construction. In contrast to other materials of construction, glass is typically more brittle and more prone to fracture due to its lower tensile strength. Typically, in the conventional art, the lower strength of glass limits the size of glass components and the loading of chandeliers, for example, limits the size and number of ornaments that can be attached to glass components of chandeliers.
This is particularly the case in the design of glass arm chandeliers. Glass arm chandeliers typically have one or more solid glass or glass tubing arms upon which chandelier components, such as crystal ornaments or light fixtures, are mounted. The fragility of such glass arms typically limits the size, for example, the length, and the carrying capacity of such arms. Also, typically, the size and number of ornaments that can be hung from such glass arms are limited. As a result, the limitations of the carrying capacity of glass arms limits or compromises the freedom designers have in designing glass arm chandeliers.
The limitations of conventional glass arm chandelier design are particularly acute as the size of the chandelier increases. Ever increasing customer demands for larger and more elaborate chandeliers further underscore the limitations of conventional glass arm design. For example, the capability of present arm designs to withstand the loading of fixtures and ornaments is typically exceeded as the size of a chandelier exceeds 10 feet in diameter. Such large diameter chandeliers, and the ever-increasing size and number of ornaments mounted on such chandeliers, taxes the capacity of conventional glass arm design by providing ever-larger loads on the glass arms.
The present invention overcomes these and other limitations of prior art ornamental fixture design, for example, the limitations of large chandelier design.